Many articles used in industry are exposed to harsh environments. For example, tools used in a wellbore or other downhole environment in the drilling industry are often exposed to corrosive fluids, which may cause hard scales of inorganic or organic compounds such as CaCO3, BaSO4, CaSO4, SrSO4, and asphaltene to build up on the surfaces of the articles. These compounds may, for example, exist in the form of colloidal dispersions stabilized by other components in the subsurface fluid. They will often precipitate upon pressure, temperature, and compositional changes in the oil resulting from blending or other mechanical or physicochemical processing. Such precipitation occurs in pipelines, separators, and other equipment. Once deposited, scales can interfere with the normal function of the articles and cause disruption to the system and/or process in which the articles are used and may necessitate repairs or replacements. Exploration and production companies presently use remediation tools, such as abrasive jets and mechanical tools, to remove the scales. However, the techniques require costly well intervention, add up to non-productive time, and are sometimes not feasible. Accordingly, an alternative method of preventing scale-related fouling or lengthening equipment uptime through scale minimization is continuously sought.